The Epibiotic Microbiota of Wild Caribbean Sea Urchin Spines Is Species Specific.

ABSTRACT: Caribbean sea urchins are marine invertebrates that have experienced a decline over the years. Studies on sea urchins have focused primarily on the microbiome of the coelomic fluid or the gut microbiota. In this study, the epibiota community associated with four wild Caribbean sea urchin species, Lytechinus variegatus, Echinometra lucunter, Tripneustes ventricosus, and Diadema antillarum, was characterized for the first time. Using 57 sea urchin animal samples, we evaluated the influence of animal species, trophic niches, and geographical location on the composition of the epibiotic microbiota. We found significant differences in the bacterial biota among species and trophic niches, but not among geographical locations. L. variegatus exhibited the highest

SUBMITTER: Rodriguez-Barreras R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9966300 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature